1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the integration of military stores outfitted with a digital MIL-STD-1760 interface with aircraft outfitted with an analog AGM-65 (“Maverick”) interface, and more particularly to a smart translator “SMARTX” box that provides the aircraft with the same “look and feel” and capability to use the store as if the aircraft was fully 1760 compliant without any modifications to the electronics or software of either the aircraft or store.
2. Description of the Related Art
Fighter aircraft and the stores (e.g. bombs, missiles, launchers, targeting pod, data link etc.) which they carry have an electrical interface that provides for communication between the aircraft and store. U.S. and several foreign designed aircraft built after the early 1970s such as the A-4, AV-8, F-4, F-15, F-16, F-111 and so on include an AGM-65 (“Maverick”) interface. Different aircraft and stores can have different instantiations of the Maverick interface e.g. the precise functions and signals may vary.
As shown in FIG. 1, the Maverick interface 10 includes an aircraft Maverick analog interface 12 on the aircraft and a store Maverick analog interface 13 on the store that are connected via a cable and Maverick connectors (not shown). The aircraft and store interfaces communicate via signals on power lines 14, discrete input signal lines 16 (“high” or “low” only), variable analog input signal lines 18, a video output signal line 20 and discrete output signal lines 22 (“high” or “low” only) where input and output are referenced to the store. The aircraft interface provides 3-phase, 400 Hz, 115V AC and 28V DC power on power lines 14 to power the store. The aircraft interface provides discrete signals such as uncage, station select, AGM-65 select, launch, track, spare . . . on discrete input signal lines 16, which change state depending on how the aircrew manipulates the Maverick controls. For example, pressing the Maverick “Track” button, typically located on the hands-on throttle and stick (HOTAS), momentarily causes the “track” signal to go high. The aircraft interface further provides two variable analog slew signals on analog input signal lines 18 that are used to slew the gimbaled seeker on the store in azimuth and elevation. The store interface receives analog video from the seeker (e.g. infrared sensed imagery) and transmits the video over video output signal line 20 where the video can be viewed by the aircrew in the cockpit. The store interface provides the discrete signals on discrete output signal lines 22 such as launcher present, AGM-65 identification MSL ready, spare etc. to the aircraft.
In the early 1990s, the U.S. Department of Defense promulgated MIL-STD-1760 that defines a digital interface, hardware and software for aircraft and stores. Newly produced tactical aircraft are internally wired with a 1760-compatible data bus for coupling to the MIL-STD-1760 standard store interface. Modern smart weapons such as the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM), Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW) or Enhanced Paveway are designed to communicate with the aircraft via such an interface to obtain control, monitor and release information to carry out mission critical operations.
As shown in FIG. 2, MIL-STD-1760 interface 30 includes an aircraft 1760 digital interface 32 on the aircraft and a store 1760 digital interface 34 that communicate via signals on power lines 36, signal lines 38 and discrete lines 40. 115V AC and 28V DC power is carried on power lines 36 to power the store. Release consent and interlock are carried on discrete lines 40 from the aircraft interface to the store, an interlock return is returned from the store. Release consent allows the store to be dropped or launched when commanded and interlock and interlock return indicate whether the store is present. The digital signals are communicated via a high speed 1760-compatible data bus. Currently, the data bus is a MIL-STD-1553 data bus 42 that includes Mux A and Mux B channels and address lines. Future stores will replace the 1553 data bus with fibre channel 44 that provides approximately 1000× the bandwidth of the current 1553 data bus. The standard interface supports having either or both the 1553 bus and the fibre channel. The store generates digital data such as store status and situational awareness including position, the launch acceptability region (LAR) etc. that is sent via the high speed data bus 42 or fibre channel 44 to the aircraft and displayed in the cockpit. The data is used by the aircraft computer to define various screens of text and graphics that the aircrew navigate to view store status, targeting information and control deployment of the store. The aircraft sends digital data and controls over the data bus to the store for IBIT, targeting and launch, for example. MIL-STD-1760 also specifies a high and/or low bandwidth lines 46 which comprise general purpose transmission lines for analog or digital signals in the frequency range of 20 Hz to 1.6 GHz.
The overwhelming majority of legacy aircraft in use today lack either the proper hardware and/or software to interface with the MIL-STD-1760 interface of modern stores. Economic and political constraints dictate that the lives of existing aircraft must be extended, making the incorporation of new 1760 stores into existing aircraft highly desirable if not necessary. Integration of new 1760 stores with legacy “Maverick” aircraft requires significant hardware and software modifications to the aircraft. Such modifications are both complex and costly to design and implement and may not provide the full functionality of the 1760 store.